studio ShoulderTap contrasts brick and stone to shape family residence in india

studio shouldertap designs ‘house of surprises’ in India

Studio ShoulderTap unveils The Turahalli House, a compact home for a family of three on a typical 9-by-12-meter plot, a standard size in many government-planned neighborhoods in India. Located near the Turahalli forest in the southern outskirts of Bangalore, the house should feel open and generous, despite its small footprint. The architects take this constraint as their starting point, conceiving the home as a series of spatial moments, a reason why the team informally refers to it as the House of Surprises.

From a distance, the red brick facade of the building stands out, contrasting sharply with the surrounding trees and sky. But the closer one gets, the more the materials and geometry begin to shift. At the base, the ground floor is finished in a dark stone with curved walls that diverge from the rectilinear upper levels. A sliding metal gate reveals a small front garden, and within it, a green, curved staircase rises above a pond as a spatial device that sets the tone for how the rest of the house will be experienced.

all images by @studio__nara

green double-height balcony punctuates The Turahalli House

The Bangalore-based team of Studio ShoulderTap intentionally carves the entry route to the Turahalli House to be indirect. Instead of walking straight into the main living areas, visitors are led past and through smaller volumes, slowly introduced to the building’s scale and logic. Eventually, the space opens into a high-ceilinged living and dining area, flanked by large windows on either side. On the southern side, a gap between a freestanding wall and the main structure becomes a light register, capturing slices of sunlight as they shift through the day. The kitchen, tucked away from direct view, remains open to the dining space and is finished in locally sourced green marble and warm wood.

As one moves up through the house, the tone begins to shift. The staircase narrows, and the volumes become more intimate, reflecting the more private nature of the upper levels. The bedrooms, though compact, are detailed with yellow triangular insets on the floors, made from a mix of Kota and Tandur stone, to contrast with the more muted palette elsewhere. A green-painted double-height balcony punctuates this level, acting as both a social space and a connector to the different levels of the house.

The topmost floor is another variation on the living space, similar in footprint but more subdued in height and atmosphere. With a balcony that looks eastward, it offers a quiet spot for hosting or reflection, removed from the activity below. Turahalli House doesn’t attempt to solve every problem with a singular architectural move, but, instead, it layers spaces, shifts volumes, and lets materials and light do some of the work. 

Studio ShoulderTap unveils The Turahalli House

this compact home accommodates a family of three

the house should feel open and generous, despite its size

a series of spatial moments

a green, curved staircase rises above a pond

this spatial device sets the tone for how the rest of the house will be experienced

the team informally refers to the project as the House of Surprises

acting as both a social space and a connector to the different levels of the house

Turahalli House layers spaces, shifts volumes, and lets materials and light do the work

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as one moves up through the house, the tone begins to shift

the staircase narrows, and the volumes become more intimate

reflecting the more private nature of the upper levels

a gap between a freestanding wall and the main structure becomes a light register

capturing slices of sunlight as they shift through the day

diverging from the rectilinear upper levels

visitors are led past and through smaller volumes, slowly introduced to the building’s scale and logic

the space opens into a high-ceilinged living and dining area

large windows let sunlight inside

the kitchen is finished in locally sourced green marble and warm wood

the bedrooms, though compact, are detailed with yellow triangular insets on the floors

the topmost floor is another variation on the living space

a quiet spot for reflection

ground floor plan

first floor plan

second floor plan

third floor plan

terrace plan

section 1

section 2

project info:

name: Turahalli House

architect: Studio ShoulderTap | @shoulder.tap

location: Bangalore, India

photographer: Studio NARA | @studio__nara